Strangers in the Fog
by TheSecretWeasley5147
Summary: After being fired from his job, Draco has no way to pay rent and goes to end his life. When he goes to kill himself, he meets Astoria Greengrass, who changes his mind and saves him from himself. But can she save him from Azkaban? More description inside.


Disclaimer: I am not, never have been, and most likely will never be JK Rowling.

Longer Description: After being fired from his job, Draco has no way to pay rent, and chooses to end his life. When he goes to kill himself, he meets Astoria Greengrass, who changes his mind and saves him. Together, the two help each other overcome emotional and economical woes. But can she save him from Azkaban?

* * *

Draco sprayed a cleaning solution on the counter of Quality Quidditch Supplies. He picked up a handkerchief, and began to rub the potion around the marble in a circular motion. He had sweat on his brow from the intense heat of the summer and the fact that his boss, Mr. Skrimish, seemed to enjoy keeping the shop at top heat at all times.

Mr. Skirmish walked out of the stockroom with an angry look on his squat face and a box of snitches in his arms. He dropped the box of snitches next to where Draco was cleaning in a way that promised a lecture. "Malfoy, didn't I tell you to cover that Dark Mark up? Yet here you are, rolling up your sleeves, broadcasting it to the world!"

Draco glanced at his rolled up sleeve. "It's the middle of June and you keep it like a bloody furnace in here. What else am I supposed to do?"

"Listen, your Dark Mark has been scaring a lot of people. And, to be frank, your customer service skills are terrible. Honestly, the only reason I've been letting all of this fly by is because you know more about Quidditch than anyone else who isn't already playing professionally. You are snarky and rude to most people coming in here, and you are just lazy. I won't take any more of this. You're scaring away my customers. Draco, you're fired."

At first, he was silent and stony, but within a moment's notice, Draco savagely knocked the box of snitches to the ground and stormed out of the shop.

Fog seemed to swallow all of the sights of Diagon Alley as Draco ran to his apartment.

He stumbled occasionally as he climbed up the metal stairs, the fog making the steps nearly impossible to see as he hurried towards his door.

Draco swiped his hand at the scarcely visible doorknob a considerable amount of times before finally latching his hand onto the knob and entering the minuscule flat.

Upon slamming the beat-up metal door shut, Draco screamed in frustration. He stomped over to his ripped couch and threw himself down onto it. He glared at the lamp, and before he realized what he was doing, he knocked it off its stand, not dissimilar to what he did to the box of snitches.

He looked around the bleak room. He stared at the pale white walls, barren sans the occasional brown spot from water damage or an unpleasant glare from the flickering fluorescent lights. _How am I going to be able to pay my rent?_ Draco thought._ Things were difficult enough even when I had my job, and this is one of the cheapest rents in Diagon Alley._

Draco sat and sulked in his tiny flat, trying to think of a solution of some sorts, but nothing seemed to come.

As he stood up to walk out the door, he took one last look at the little place before setting the note he had written on the kitchen table.

The fog seemed to have increased tenfold, and it was unusually dark for 10 PM. Walking through the streets, Draco could hardly tell the difference between fire hydrants and small tubby dogs.

Draco was unfamiliar with Muggle London, but even he knew where to find the London Bridge.

He walked along the sidwalk of the bridge until he'd reached a point in the middle where there weren't any boats, and it seemed pretty rocky from what he could tell.

He started to take a sharp breath before jumping, when he saw someone he thought he recognized, barely visible in the fog.

Draco made no movements until he felt something land on his foot.

"OW!" He shouted.

"Sorry! So sorry!" The girl said hurridly. "I didn't see you, it's so foggy." She paused. "Are you Draco Malfoy?"

He took a closer look at her face. "Daphne Greengrass?"

She rolled her eyes and frowned. "Astoria."

"Oh." Draco wasn't exactly sure what else to say. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Well, I WAS about to plunge to my death in the River Thames, but it's a bit obscene to commit suicide in front of a man you scarcely know." Astoria answered.

Draco looked down into the waters of the river, fog swirling around the rocks. "We're here for the same reason, then."

Astoria tilted her head. "You're here, standing on the London Bridge, about to end your life, because the Ministry of Magic is after your family for supporting Voldemort, anyone who's ever been close to you have left because of the said Ministry fiasco, and..." Astoria shook her head, dark hair swaying. "No. It's OK. It's a long story."

"We have similar reasons. I'm here because I've lost my job due to my involvement with the Dark Lord, don't really have any chance of paying my rent or even buying food because of that, and because I've never been close enough to anyone to realize they've abandoned me until it's too late, and ending my life is better than living a lonely, knutless **(Notice the K, please.)**, life." Draco said, clenching his fists. "Besides, I'd probably die of pneumonia or starvation soon enough anyway."

_You don't need to be alone! _Astoria thought_. I'd be with you. _As much as she wanted to, she never dared to say it.

She felt Draco looking at her. "Do you have a way home?" he asked.

"Who said anything about going back there? I'm not expected back. No one will notice I'm gone, not even when my brains are strewn across those rocks down there." Astoria answered glumly.

"I don't think you should." Draco said, an idea hatching. "I can help you. You can help me. Loneliness is a common burden for us, is it not? At least that will be one thing lifted."

Astoria shook her head and stared at her feet. "I can't go back there..."

Draco put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay with me. In my apartment. I've got a couch that folds out into a bed, you can use it if you like."

She beamed. "Really? I'd hate to burden you."

"It's not a problem. Really." Draco answered.

He smiled, knowing things would be better, as he looked at Astoria, and thought about what he liked most about Astoria so far.

Her money.

* * *

No fear, Draco/Astoria fans! He'll like her for more than her money soon enough :) Remember to review!


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